Former Bunker in Hamburg Now An Energy Centre With Dramatic Lighting

Notable for its monumental 42 metre concrete façade, the former flak bunker, dating back to the Second World War, is now a characteristic feature of the urban image of Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. Elaborately renovated and converted as part of the International Building Exhibition, (IBA), this building, now a power plant, uses renewable forms of energy to supply the surrounding residential district with energy and heat. Around 800 residential units are currently supplied with an energy mix of photovoltaic and solar heat, biogas and biomass as well as industrial waste heat. At the heart of the system is a massive water tank which stores heat and releases it as required.

Now open to the public, the Energy Bunker offers a café and exhibition zones that invite visitors to embark on a tour of discovery and enjoy a panoramic view of the city at a lofty height of 32 metres.

ERCO lighting solutions create a stunning impression of depth in the rough-textured interior, with its massive water tank used as a heat store. Neutral white light illuminates the concrete façade effectively allowing it to stand out in the dark. Grasshopper luminaires are used to produce an optimum long-distance effect, responding with sensitivity to the historic heritage of the war monument by using discreet lighting from below. The lighting deliberately refrains from staging the building as artwork, underscoring instead its current importance for the Wilhelmsburg district.